Wüstenschiffe

Ships of the Desert

2012 , 52 min,
Mischief Films

Camels are the legendary ships of the desert. They are masters of the art of survival in the harshest climates on earth and can go for up to ten months without a drop of water. Then they drink 200 litres in only 10 minutes and are even capable of digesting saltwater.

Camels are also one of the oldest domesticated animals and share a 5000 year close and intertwined history with us. Through their domestication as beasts of burden they laid the foundations for ancient long-distance trade and became the backbone of the legendary salt and incense caravans. For the first time, camels made it possible for humans to bridge distances of several thousand kilometres across the most hostile landscapes in the world. Today, camels are still the most important source of milk, meat, leather, wool and fuel in large parts of Africa and for the Nomads of Arabia. Because of this, the Bedouins call the camel Al-Ata Allah, the gift of God.

Along the way, the ORF/Universum-documentary looks at the co-existence between camels and mankind over the centuries and asks what relevance these astonishing animals have for us today.

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